There are a lot of causes of stress for those of us working in the security industry. For me, the biggest concern is that a lot of decision-makers are unaware of the consequences that can be caused by inadequate budgeting or investment in security, especially in industries where the consequences can be the loss of human lives.
I usually joke when someone asks me what I do to combat stress about the song from Monty Python, “Always look on the bright side of life.” Actually, there are many factors that go hand-in-hand with work-related stress, and most of them are the product of our inability to respond to the challenges or the facts that we face. That is why I must first identify “my stressors” and the moments or situations that cause them, so that I know how to manage or avoid them. If I avoid them, then there is no stress for me, but if I choose to manage them, I spend a lot more energy than I would normally use. In order to make up for that energy, it is important for me to seek out supportive conversations and get good rest – sometimes, just a hug is enough. But the most powerful way for me to restore energy is doing something good for others and volunteering for ISACA.
I first heard about ISACA in 2004, when I decided to change my career path from application system development to enterprise risk service consulting and started work for Deloitte Serbia, so today I am a proud ISACA platinum member. I became a member in 2005 and my motivation to become and remain a member has not only arisen from obtaining professional certification—I have become and remained an ISACA member because for me ISACA was, and still is, the best international organization that fosters keeping up with innovations in governance, risk and controls, security, and audit in the business technology and cybersecurity environment. As a beginner I learned from the best, and today, I am proud to have the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with my colleagues.
When I look back at my career, I could say there are a lot of things that I am proud of because I was a pioneer in my country and region in the areas of risk management, security, data privacy and IT audit, as well as digitization and software solution development in the financial sector. Even today, I can see the results of my work. However, I am especially proud when I see people who grew their careers under my mentorship and have grown into extremely knowledgeable and respected professionals.
As for me these days, I am currently working on establishing my own business. My main goal is to help organizations raise awareness about cybersecurity and data management, and establish strategies and frameworks that fit their business. A lot of things have changed and still are changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a major impact on the business plan I created. All of my planned projects are on hold, and some of them are going to be canceled. However, once the pandemic subsides, I still believe there will be excellent opportunities in the cybersecurity and data privacy areas, especially in the context of risk management.
Outside of work, I have two major passions: The first one is sports. I spent 26 year of my life as an active sportswoman (handball player and referee) and these days, I am keen on recreational skiing and swimming, and most of all watching sports on TV. My second major passion outside work is cooking. It is true that I rarely have time to devote to cooking, but when I find some time for it, I do not like to rely on recipes. I like to prepare food with ingredients to my liking.
In the bigger picture, I recognize myself and want others to recognize me as someone who helps the environment that surrounds me – both people and organizations – to develop and achieve goals that are believed to be infeasible.